Official Promises To Draft Courthouse Security Plan

Police officers would be willing to put aside their weapons in Broward courtrooms if they could be sure the County Courthouse is secure, Broward Sheriff`s officials told a panel of judges on Friday.

But before equipment is installed, county and judicial officials must decide how tightly they want the building secured, said Broward Public Works Director Roy Carson.

``What we can provide you with in 30 days is a system to defend against some nut who wants to come in with a gun and shoot a judge or shoot his wife because a decision has gone against him,`` Carson said. ``But we can`t defend against a dedicated, trained terrorist.``

``What we`re concerned with are the daily nuts,`` said Chief Judge Miette Burnstein.

She heads a panel of Broward judges studying ways to improve conditions at the courthouse, parts of which are more than 50 years old. The panel met Friday at the county`s Main Library in downtown Fort Lauderdale with lawyers, police and county officials to review courthouse renovation and expansion plans.

Carson promised to submit a plan by next month detailing a security system that would submit everyone coming in to an electronic search similar to those at airports.

The system would require everyone to pass through a metal detector and have all handbags and briefcases X-rayed.